What helps a black eye heal faster?
Here's what you can do to speed up recovery:Elevate your head. When you're not sleeping, keep your head elevated. ... Avoid pressure. When using ice or warm compress, don't press on your black eye. ... Rest. Take a break from sports and other activities that pose a risk for eye injuries.
How long does it take for black eye to heal?
A black eye is bruising and swelling around your eye, usually caused by a blow to the area, such as a punch or fall. It should get better within 2 to 3 weeks.
Can you get rid of a black eye overnight?
Treatment for a black eye usually involves ice, over-the-counter pain relievers, and elevating your head. If you care for a black eye properly, you can promote the healing process, but there isn't a quick fix to make it immediately go away. The bruising has to subside on its own.
Do black eyes get worse overnight?
A black eye is bruising and swelling around the eye or the eyelids. The swelling from your black eye may get worse over the next couple of days. After that, the swelling should steadily improve until it is gone.
Does toothpaste help a black eye?
It is believed that toothpaste helps break up the clot and increase blood flow. People report noticing a difference after just one night, but it may take several applications to make the bruise completely disappear.
Can a black eye heal in 3 days?
It is highly unlikely that a black eye will go away within 24 hours. Generally, bruises are dark for at least a few days. The time needed for healing depends on several factors, including: The severity of the bruise: A small bruise typically heals faster.
Does a potato help a black eye?
It is not only rich in vitamin C, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels, it also reduces swelling and acts as an analgesic. Peel the potato and cut into thick slices. Cool the slices for half an hour in the refrigerator. Then apply to the affected area for approximately 30 minutes.
Does a cold spoon get rid of a black eye?
A cold washcloth, bag of peas, or chilled spoon can help to alleviate pain and bring down swelling within the first 24 hours. Taking pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help to relieve pain.
What lotion is good for bruises?
Arnica cream has long been used for bruising, strains, sprains, pain relief, inflammation, and swelling. This arnica lotion for bruises is packed with essential ingredients to help with bruise relief.
What are the stages of a black eye?
The eye may start off slightly reddened, then progress to a darker shade. Later, the skin around the eye becomes deep violet, yellow, green, or black in color. Swelling increases as discoloration progresses. Over the course of a few days, the area becomes lighter and the swelling decreases.
When should you go to the doctor for a black eye?
You should seek medical help right away if you lost consciousness when you received the black eye. You should also seek immediate medical help if you have these symptoms along with the injury: loss of vision or visual changes (other than blurriness caused by the swelling) severe eye pain or headaches that don't go away.
How do you know if a black eye is serious?
Signs of a more serious head injury require medical attention, and may include the following:double vision.vision loss.blood on the eyeball surface.inability to move the eye.severe or ongoing headache.fainting/loss of consciousness.blood or fluid coming from the ears or nose.
What is the best medicine for bruising?
Vitamin C. Like arnica, vitamin C is available over the counter in both oral and topical forms. Some research suggests it can help blood clot, which helps reduce the amount of bruising and swelling. There are also signs that vitamin C might help clots break down as a bruise heals.
How to fade a black eye?
Three ways to fade a black eye. There’s no magic trick to make a black eye vanish. But there are some treatments that might help it fade. 1. Arnica. There’s some evidence that this herb — available over the counter — may help bruises heal. Doctors aren’t totally sure how it works, Dr. Vij says.
What to do if you get a shiner?
If you get a shiner, the first thing you should do is assess whether there’s more serious damage under the surface. Dr. Vij advises seeing a doctor if you have symptoms such as: Blurry or double vision. Bleeding in the white or colored part of the eye. Bleeding from the nose or ears. Bruising around both eyes.
How long does it take for a black eye to heal?
What to expect as your black eye heals. Swelling typically peaks two days after the injury, so don’t be surprised if you wake up looking worse the next day. After that, it can take around two weeks for the swelling and bruising to go away.
How to tell if you have an infection?
Clues of an infection or other problem include: Swelling that increases after the first two days. Increased pain or tenderness. Skin that’s hot to the touch.
How to stop swelling in eye?
Ice. In the first two days, ice your eye to decrease swelling and stop blood and fluid from pooling. “Apply a cold compress, 20 minutes on, then 20 minutes off,” he says. (The 20 minutes off is important — constant cold exposure can damage the skin.) Advertising Policy.
How to heal bruises under eyes?
(Avoid getting it in the eye since it can be irritating.) 3. Laser treatment. Dermatologists can use in-office laser treatments to keep a new bruise from spreading and help it heal more quickly.
How to treat a black eye?
Treatment for a black eye usually involves ice, over-the-counter pain relievers, and elevating your head. If you care for a black eye properly, you can promote the healing process, but there isn’t a quick fix to make it immediately go away. The bruising has to subside on its own.
What is the best medicine for black eye?
It is best to stick with acetaminophen. Both aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may thin your blood and worsen the appearance of your black eye. There are other methods that may help to reduce the appearance of a black eye.
What does it mean when your eye is black?
A black eye describes bruising in the eye area . Blood collects in the tissues, causing a purple, blue, or black appearance of the area around your eye. There is usually not an injury affecting your actual eye, just the area that surrounds it. In addition to the darkened skin, you may also experience: Pain in the area. Blurry vision.
How to reduce swelling in the eye?
When you apply ice to your eye, use a washcloth or similar barrier between the ice and your skin to prevent a cold injury. Never ice the affected eye for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Why do my eyes turn black?
They usually occur when something hits your nose or eye. It is possible for both eyes to be blackened at the same time, depending on your injury. Any trauma to the face may cause serious injuries, such as a skull fracture or bleeding in the brain.
Why is it important to wear a seatbelt when you have a black eye?
Wearing a seatbelt is important since facial injuries are common during motor vehicle accidents. There are other ways to reduce your risk of falls.
What are the symptoms of a black eye?
Some symptoms can indicate that a black eye may be accompanied by a potentially serious head injury. These symptoms include: Double vision. Blood on the eye’s surface. Loss of consciousness or fainting. Loss of vision. Not being able to move your eye.
How long does it take for a black eye to heal?
Once the swelling goes down, you can use a warm compress and gentle massage. Your black eye should heal after 2 weeks. If these home remedies for black eyes don’t work, or if you have vision changes, seek medical help. Last medically reviewed on September 13, 2019.
How to heal a swollen eye?
To use this remedy, you’ll need a small towel and large bowl. Fold up the towel and place it in the bowl. Fill the bowl with hot, but not boiling, water.
How to stop swelling from a sprain?
This will slow down blood flow to the area, which reduces how much blood pools under your skin. Ice also decreases swelling and pain. Here’s how to safely use ice: Place ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap it with a clean towel.
What is the best cream for bruises?
Arnica, or mountain tobacco, comes from the plant Arnica montana. It’s believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. For this reason, arnica creams and gels are traditionally used to treat bruises. Shop for arnica cream online.
How do I know if my eye is red?
Your eye area will look red as blood pools under your skin. Days 1 to 2. The hemoglobin in your blood breaks down, which makes your skin look bluish purple-black. You’ll have a lot of swelling. Days 2 to 10. As your body clears old blood, your black eye will gradually turn yellow-greenish. The swelling will get better.
Why do I have black eyes?
Most black eyes occur when something hits the face or head, but they can also develop after facial surgery. In general, a black eye isn’t serious. However, it could be a sign of a more severe injury, like a skull fracture. It’s crucial to see your doctor if you have vision changes or ongoing pain. If your black eye was caused by a minor injury, you ...
How to get rid of a swollen eyelid?
Place ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap it with a clean towel. Never put ice directly on your skin. Apply the ice for 10 to 20 minutes. Avoid pressing on your eye. Repeat several times a day for 1 to 2 days. If you don’t have ice cubes, use an ice pack or cold compress.
How do you know if you have a black eye?
Black Eye Symptoms. A simple black eye comes with relatively few symptoms, and other than the nasty-looking bruise, they're typically mild. Symptoms include: Pain and swelling around the eyelid and eye socket which can be severe enough for the eye to swell shut.
How long does it take for a black eye to heal?
The majority of black eyes are relatively minor bruises that heal on their own in about three to five days. As the bruise heals, the swelling around the eye decreases, and the skin color often goes from black and blue to green and yellow. Sometimes, though, a black eye is a warning sign of a more serious head, face, or eye injury.
What does it mean when your eye is black?
Sometimes, though, a black eye is a warning sign of a more serious head, face, or eye injury. Two black eyes after an impact to the head shouldn't be taken lightly; it may indicate a severe head injury such as a skull fracture. While rare, a black eye may also indicate damage to the eyeball itself.
What does it mean when your eye is swelling?
Swelling that continues beyond 48 hours. Any injury caused by an object in the eye. Blood pooling in the eye 2 . Two black eyes, which can be a sign of a skull fracture 3 . Cuts or lacerations in or near the eye. Any deformity in the eye socket, face, or jaw that may indicate a fracture.
What are the signs of a fracture?
Any deformity in the eye socket, face, or jaw that may indicate a fracture. Broken or missing teeth. Behavior changes or confusion. Fluid draining from the nose, mouth, ears, or eye. Signs of concussion or other serious head injuries that may have occurred from head trauma.
What causes a black eye?
An injury to the eye or head can sometimes cause a black eye along with more serious problems. If you have any of the following symptoms along with a black eye, you should get medical attention to rule out a serious injury: Vision changes or loss that don't clear up quickly. Severe or persistent pain.
How to get rid of a swollen eyeball?
Stop any activity. Apply ice wrapped in a thin cloth (or a cold compress or a bag of frozen vegetables) to the area around the eye. 4 . Avoid putting direct pressure on the eyeball itself. Keep the ice on the area for 15 minutes at a time every waking hour for the first 24 hours.
How to treat a black eye with a skull fracture?
To take care of a black eye: Apply a cold compress soon after the injury. Using gentle pressure, place a cold pack or a cloth filled with ice to the area around your eye.
What causes a black eye?
Black eye: First aid - Mayo Clinic. By Mayo Clinic Staff. A black eye is caused by bleeding under the skin around the eye. Most injuries that cause a black eye aren't serious. But a black eye may indicate a more serious injury, such as an internal injury to the eye or a fracture of the thin bones around the eye.
What to do if you see a white smear in your eye?
Seek medical care immediately if you have vision problems (double vision, blurring), severe pain, bruising around both eyes, or bleeding in an eye or from the nose. Apply warm-hot compresses.
How to treat a black eye at home?
Additional home remedies for a black eye include: Try over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil or Motrin), but do not take aspirin unless your doctor directs you to do so. Aspirin can act as a blood thinner and worsen the bleeding, which will increase the time it takes for your black eye to heal.
How to get a black eye out of your eye?
Wrap the ice pack (or bag of frozen peas) loosely in a towel. Hold it gently but firmly against the bruised area around your eye. Do this as often as possible throughout the first day after receiving your black eye. If your eye is swollen shut, do not attempt to force it open.
How to conceal black eye?
Steps to Take to Conceal Your Black Eye. Put a small dollop of concealer or foundation on the back of your hand; you will use your hand as a palette. Using the concealer brush, blend the concealer or foundation with the green eye shadow.
How to apply eye shadow on black eyes?
Using the eye shadow brush, gently apply eye shadow over the area where you have applied the mixture of concealer (or foundation) and green eye shadow; use whatever combination of tan, pink, and/or brown is necessary to match the tone of the skin in the area surrounding your black eye.
How long does it take for a black eye to heal?
A black eye can sometimes take as long as two weeks to heal completely, and a severe black eye can take even longer. Unless you plan to stay home and not leave the house for as long as your black eye takes to heal (or unless you plan to wear sunglasses everywhere you go), you may want to try concealing it with makeup.
What to eat when you have a black eye?
Pineapple and papaya are also great foods to eat while you’re healing from a black eye. They are rich in antioxidants and aid in the healing of discolored skin. Some people believe you should rub the pulp parts of these foods directly on your skin.
What causes blood to come out of the eye?
It is caused by blunt trauma, such as might result from a careless collision with a doorframe or a tennis ball, or from an unexpected punch in the face during a physical altercation. The blood collects in the space surrounding the eye, and eventually becomes visible through the skin.
How to reduce black eye?
How to use: To reduce the appearance of a black eye naturally with arnica, you should do the following: Apply arnica cream to the blackened area around your eye 2-3 times a day. Use the natural remedy every day to speed up the healing process until you no longer have any signs of bruising.
How to make a black eye go away faster?
Chamomile oil. You can use chamomile oil as a natural way to make a black eye go away faster. Chamomile is widely known for its soothing properties and has been used for centuries as a healing agent. One of the ways that chamomile oil is great for treating bruising round an eye injury is that it promotes skin healing.
How to treat a black eye with cold compress?
Gently apply the cold pack to the affected area around your eye and keep it on for 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day for one or two days to help prevent bruising and swelling around your eye. After treating your black eye with a cold compress for the first 2 days, you should then use a warm compress.
How to reduce swelling around bruised eye?
One of the first ways to reduce swelling around a bruised eye is to apply a cold compress as soon as possible after the injury. Cold restricts blood flow to the affected area and helps prevent a black or purple bruise forming.
What is the best medicine for bruising around the eye?
Arnica. Another great healing agent for bruising around a black eye is arnica. Arnica has been used for centuries to soothe many skin complaints that cause pain, bruising, and inflammation. In fact, the healing properties of arnica can also help reduce the symptoms of arthritis and muscle spasms.
How to heal a broken eye?
A warm compress placed on the damaged tissue around your injured eye will speed up the healing process. The warmth from the compress increases blood flow to the affected area and helps to encourage the healing process.
What causes a black eye?
Any kind of trauma to the face can cause a black eye which typically results in swelling, pain, discoloration of the skin, and can even result in a serious injury. A black eye usually starts off as purple or black bruising around the eye that gradually becomes yellow until it heals and disappears completely.

Overview
- A ''black eye'' is a bruise to the eyelid skin caused by blunt trauma to the eye region. Like many bruises, a \"shiner\" is usually nothing to worry about and will disappear in 1-2 weeks.
Treatment
- If you have a black eye, apply cold compresses (such as an ice bag or cool, damp cloth) to the injured eye for at least 15 minutes immediately after your injury to help reduce pain, swelling and discoloration.
Symptoms
- A black eye causes swelling and black-and-blue discoloration of the eyelids and soft tissues around the eye. Sometimes, trauma that results in a black eye also causes small areas of bleeding on the white of the eye and on the inner lining of the eyelids. If you have bright-red or dark-red discoloration of your eyeball, you have another problem. This discoloration most likely is cause…
Causes
- Most black eyes are the result of blunt trauma that causes bleeding beneath the thin eyelid skin, producing the characteristic black and blue discoloration. A fracture deep inside the skull can also blacken both eyes, even though the eye area itself was not injured. People with sinusitis from allergies sometimes get \"allergic shiners\" -- darkening under the eyes caused by inflamed and …
Prevention
- Almost all eye injuries can be prevented. To decrease your risk of eye injuries: 1. Use appropriate protective eyewear at work. Studies have shown that face shields, goggles and other protective eyewear can reduce the risk of work-related eye injuries by more than 90%. 2. If you are an athlete, ask an experienced ophthalmologist, optometrist or optician for help in selecting protective eye…
When To Call A Professional
- Most black eyes are no more dangerous than a simple bruise on your arm or leg. There are times, however, when a black eye can be a sign of a more serious problem, such as a fracture of the eye socket or an injury to the inside of the eye. Call your doctor immediately if your black eye is accompanied by any of the following symptoms: 1. Decreased vision, blurry vision or double visi…
Expected Duration
- Most of the swelling and discoloration go away within seven to 10 days after injury. The color of the skin around the eye will change over the course of recovery, typically showing green and yellow tones as the blood ages and is cleared from the tissue.
Further Information
- Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.Medical Disclaimer...